Acts #5: None other than Jesus. Acts chapter 4

First Steps of the Church

The book of Acts propels us into

• the birth
• and the first steps of the Church

Church in the Biblical sense,

are those who are attached to God by faith in Christ.

The Assignment

Christ entrusts a mission to the Church to bear His name & His victory over sin

• in the nearby surroundings
• and to the ends of the earth.

Our Help: the Holy Spirit

To help them in this great mission, Christ gives them the help of the Holy Spirit.

When the latter is in them, the spread of the message this Christ is done in an astonishing way:

The message of Christ is given in many different languages ​​to the people present in Jerusalem who came from all parts of the Mediterranean basin.

Apostles are the hyphen

The apostles are the link between

• what Jesus was doing
• and what God wants to be done through them.

Jesus operated in

• Healings
• signs
• miracles

which testified to His divinity.  

The apostles are also the instrument of God through miracles.

This certifies that it is the same Spirit that lives in them

and that it is Christ who works through them.

Chapter 3

This is what we saw last time that happened in chapter 3.

Miraculous healing

A man handicapped from birth is miraculously cured following his encounter with the apostles.

( Interestingly, the writer of Acts is a doctor )

The Work of Christ

Peter & John say immediately

• that they are not the authors of this healing,
• but that it is the work of Christ.

Pierre takes advantage of it

to make it clear to these listeners who Christ is.

He is the one that’s been heralded for thousands of years through

• patriarchs 
• prophets

But you Jews here

• You delivered Him into death
• You killed the Prince of Life

But God raised him up

You did this out of ignorance

But now God’s hand remains outstretched:

• Repent,
• Convert

and times of refreshment will come into your lives

Response of 2 types

There are two types of responses to these comments :

• Some believed in Christ and thus the Church has nearly 5,000 men that are converted (how to count. it would be necessary to add the associated women and children).
• Others are irritated and show their opposition.

Passage chapter 4

1. Peter and John were still talking to the people when there came

• the priests,
• the commander of the temple guards
• and the Sadducees.

Interesting to see that in the pedagogy of God’s chosen people

The proclamation of the Gospel is gradually done to the people who were the depositary of the promises of salvation made by God

Recognition privilege

who is best placed to see all the Messianic promises fulfilled in Jesus?

• In chapter 2 we have all the Jewish people who are concerned
• In chapter 3 the regulars, the faithful of the temple
• In chapter 4 religious leaders.

Verification of the fulfilment of promises

The announcement of the gospel occurs 3 times in the same manner:

• Based on the story sealed between God and the people of Israel
• On their responsibility in the murder of Christ
• On the call to repentance
• And surrender to Christ

2. They were fed up because the apostles were teaching the people and announcing the resurrection of the dead in the person of Jesus.

The Sadducees were fierce opponents of the idea that there could be a resurrection

Even if they had one in front of their eyes.

3 They arrested them and, as it was already evening, put them in prison until the next day.

4 However, many who had heard the word believed,

which brought the number of men to about 5,000.

The number of women and children should be added.

Archaeologists have also found that there was a Christian quarter in Jerusalem at that time.

5 The next day the leaders of the people, the elders, and the scholars of the law gathered in Jerusalem 6 with the high priest Annas, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all those who were of the high priest’s family.

7 They summoned Peter and John in their midst and asked them:

“By what power or what name did you do this?”

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them:

“Leaders of the people and elders [of Israel], 9 we are asked today about a blessing given to a crippled person, that we may tell how he was cured.

10 Know this well, all of you, and let all the people of Israel know this:

it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,

whom you crucified and God raised up,

yes, it is through him that this man presents himself in full health before you.

11 Jesus is the stone rejected by you who build and who has become the cornerstone.

12 There is no salvation in any other,

for there is no other name under heaven given among men,

whereby we must be saved.”

13 When they saw the assurance of Peter and John, they were astonished,

for they knew they were uneducated commoners

and they recognized them for having been with Jesus.

14 But as they saw standing with them the man who had been healed,

they had nothing to say.

It reminds us of exactly the same type of confrontation

between Jesus & religious leaders following the healing of the blind man

in John 9

15 They ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, and they deliberated among themselves 16 sayings:

“What to do with these men?

Indeed, they performed an obvious miraculous sign, it is clear to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and we cannot deny it. 17 But lest it spread further among the people,

let us forbid them with threats to henceforth speak to anyone in that name.”

Note that we, therefore, have internal evidence here in the Bible,

from the mouths of opponents that this miracle has taken place.

If it had been a trick.

He would have whipped Peter and John without fear of a reaction from the people.

18 So they called them and absolutely forbade them to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.

19 Peter and John answered them,

“Is it right, before God, to listen to you, rather than to God?

Judge for yourselves.

20 As for us, we cannot fail to announce what we have

• seen
• and heard.”

The apostles are only witnesses

They are not

• walking
• or canvassing

• from another thought
• or another religion.

They say what they have seen and heard.

what they relate to is not

• for their own account
• for their religion

but for God

21 The leaders of the people threatened them again and released them.

Because of fear of the people

they couldn’t find a way to punish them, because they all gave God the glory for what had happened.

22 Indeed, the man who had benefited from this miraculous healing was over 40 years old.

23 When they were released, Peter and John went to their people and told all that the chief priests and elders had told them.

24 After listening to them, they all addressed themselves to God, saying:

“Master, you are the God who created the sky, the earth, the sea, and everything in it,

25 You are the one who said [by the Holy Spirit,] through the mouth of [our father,] your servant David:

Why this turmoil among the nations and these meaningless preoccupations among the peoples?

26 The kings of the earth have risen up and the rulers have joined together against the Lord and against his anointed one.

27It is true that Herod and Pontius Pilate have joined together [in this city] with the nations and peoples of Israel against your holy servant Jesus, whom you have consecrated by anointing;

28 They have done everything that your hand and your will decided beforehand.

29 And now, Lord, be attentive to their threats

and grant your servants to speak your word with full boldness,

30 unfold your power to make it happen

healings,

miraculous signs

and wonders

by the name of your holy servant Jesus!”

31 When they had prayed, the place where they were gathered shook; they were e all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God

What these events tell us

The reaction of those who oppose: religious leaders,

• the Priests
• The Commander of the Temple
• the Sadducees

3 aspects crystallize discontent:

• That Peter and John teach
• May this teaching put Jesus in the heart
• Let them talk about resurrection.

those who believe maybe over 2000 men. However, the event brings the city together.

Arrest / Trial

Historical religious leaders

Top Religious Leaders Lead This Hearing

(We could stop on the name of each responsible

and would have been amazed to see that there too the fact that they are named

are so many clues that demonstrate the veracity of the Bible)

The question of religion is based on the notion of

• what  power
• Which name

If the spectacular actions of the occult world are based on these 2 aspects

• where does the strength come from
• the formula, the incantation

Peter’s answer refers to a living person: named Christ

• dead & risen
• He is the basis of everything but you have rejected Him
• By the way 

“12 There is no salvation in any other; for there is no name under heaven given among men, by which we must be saved.”

The court’s finding

• Amazing assurance from an uneducated person. It comes from the Holy Spirit
• The undeniable demonstration of the metamorphosis of the life of the former handicapped person who is at their side.

Hardness vs discernment

It’s still amazing the strength

• beliefs
• beliefs
• ideology
• of religion

• Facing the evidence of God
• Facing what is a true miracle

The religious world quibbles about how?

But do not ask the question that

• faced with this evidence,
• there may be things to question urgently
  • My Belief Grid
  • My ideas

These references weigh nothing at all in the face of what is obvious.

Perhaps an honest questioning process would be urgent?

No, on the contrary.

The judgment was full of:

Means to silence the apostles! and Threats!

Peter’s & John’s responses to the court

– Faced with this, should we be silent?

God asks us to:

• Worship
• Recognize and better understand the sovereignty of God in history in relation to his plan of salvation
• He asks neither for protection nor comfort but for us to be faithful witnesses.

God answers

By allowing them to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

What these events teach us

This text is crucial.

• We may have already wondered about faith in Christ.
  • But on the other side of the planet,
  • in another culture,
  • Doesn’t God have another way to be reconciled?
• Christ is perhaps for Judeo-Christians?
  • But for the others:
  • Buddhism,
  • Islam,
  • philosophies,
  • my concept of God
  • are they possibly valid?

This morning’s text reminds us

“That there is no salvation in any other;

for there is no other name under heaven given among men,

whereby we must be saved.”

Christ is the only salvation.

Peter is ultra clear

• only Christ is the source of salvation,
  • for all the earth (under the sky)
  • and for all men (among men).
• The only explanation he gives is the death and resurrection of Jesus.

I note that the court of religious opponents did not contest the resurrection.

If it had been a delirium, they would have hastened to point it out.

Transparency with God

Indeed God through Jesus has done everything in light and transparency (as always).

• The ministry of Jesus,
• His mock trial,
• His execution,
• His resurrection

He has always been verified by hundreds of witnesses.

Peter’s answer should suffice.

This explanation alone should suffice.

It should be enough for us

Who did this in the history of mankind?

What happened to the people behind other beliefs?

They have not exceeded the same limitations that are ours.

They are of no help to us.

Can a drowning person help another drowning person?

Note: Death and Resurrection are not a demonstration,

but a solution.

Death and resurrection are not just a demonstration that Christ is above.

But it’s victory over

• death
• and therefore on sin,

Which is the origin of all chaos in what we can see,

• in us
• between men,
• on nature.

Exclusivity

If Christ is the only way.

Then “the other ways” are:

• Lying
• They waste time
• They lose people for eternity.

So they are toxic and deserve no interest in the level of reconciliation between God and men.

The catalyst for our witness role

This reality should encourage us

• in compassion
• and in the diffusion of the person of Christ

with those who do not know Him personally as

• their Saviour
• and Lord of their life.

This is actually what Peter points out to the court.

You want to silence us but that’s the heart of it all.

A truth to communicate at all costs.

This urgency is beyond everything.

     Christ has entrusted this message to us believers and it’s a great

• privilege
• and to see

to communicate it:

• Acts 1/8 and But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
  •  A personal duty
  • and as an assembly.
• This is even the urgency that surpasses everything. And Peter questions the court:

• of the validity of their prohibition,
• in view of the greatness of Christ’s message

and

• of the legitimacy of this small cenacle,
• In view of the beauty of what the creator has done through Christ.

Is the believer above the law?

Would Peter’s questioning be so that the believer would be above the law?

Respect of laws

Of course not.

The Epistle to the Romans, Chapter 13, reminds us that

“the authorities are at the service of God for our good”.

And even in an imperfect Roman Empire, the apostle Paul recalls the respect for the laws of the Romans.

Particularly with regard to

• taxes
• and honour.

The legislator must do so with all due respect for the One who delegates this authority to him.

However

when authority is in opposition to him who established it,

we have a duty to refer to Him, God, which gives meaning to the principle of authority.

Clearly, in our country, we are not in this situation.

And our laws allow us

• to live our faith
• and communicate it.

And we must respect and recognize our leaders

• At the federal level
• At municipal level

However, this is not the case for everyone in the world today.

The Holy Spirit helps the witness

The Holy Spirit supports us in this mission

• What was Peter’s support in court?
• What answer did God give to the believers who were with Peter & John when they returned from the court?

The Holy Spirit.

God in his grace, filled them with His Holy Spirit

• when Peter spoke 
• following the collective prayer of believers.

To communicate the gospel.

Bible-Based Prayer

Following this collective prayer is anchored, moreover, in what God

said in his Word

Conclusion

This text reminds us that

Faith in Christ is exclusive

• that our faith in one Christ is exclusive
• No other means of salvation but Christ

He is the only one to do what we can’t do

For He alone accomplishes what no other

• didn’t do
• and will not.

Exclusive for the gospel

Since we are not faced with any other proposal for reconciliation between God and men; thus, we are welcoming anyone, as Jesus showed.

Regardless of

• sex
• age
• the source
• the social condition
• sexual orientation
• belief 
• ideology
• the course of life.
• etc

Jesus did this by living and carrying the gospel.

Grace and Truth

The beginning of the Gospel of John 1:14 &17) tells us

• that Jesus was full of grace
• and truth

There can be no grace unless there is truth.

Several truths have no grace.

This is the problem of our society without God

It’s that :

She refuses the truth of God

She opens up to the truths (those that suit us)

However, there is no more grace

• of permissiveness
• and intolerance
• Permissiveness

with everything that will endorse our way of doing things

Intolerance with respect to those who are exclusively following Christ.

No pressure for faith in Christ

The fact that faith in Christ is exclusive

Don’t make us people who exert pressure to believe.

• Jesus did not force anyone to believe
• Peter just lays out the gospel message

Neither of them exerts pressure.

So neither should we.

The work of conscience is done by the Holy Spirit.

The inner work of our consciousness

It’s the Holy Spirit that does it as we saw the last time.

After we can

• accept His action toward salvation
• Or refuse it which leaves us separated forever from God (it is in this sense that we must understand the sin against the Holy Spirit who leaves without forgiveness )

Our part

The mission of the believer is like that of Peter

• Just witness to what God has made perfect and unique in Christ
• Just to be God’s ambassador in life and in word.

We don’t convert anyone.

The believer converts no one. He can’t afford it

It is up to each human being to position themselves in front of Christ.

And by accepting Jesus Christ, these take place:

• a conversion,
• a U-turn in the direction of God
• like the U-turn in the opposite direction that we do on skis on a steep slope.

Our duty is

• to live it with Christ
• to carry it with Christ
• And with the help of his Spirit, the mission is within our reach.

What am I learning?

God the Father is sovereign.

He fulfilled His plans and promises

v28 they have done everything that your hand and your will had decided beforehand

Especially here in the plan of salvation

He is attentive to our prayers to support us in our role of witness

Jesus

The author of healing the broken relationship between God and men

He can also demonstrate His ability to heal by showing Himself in an incurable handicap.

The Holy Spirit

Gives assurance to the believer in His role as a witness to the gospel

What am I learning?

• of me
• as a human

It is possible to be reconciled to God through Christ. However,

• my beliefs,
• religion,
• ideologies

are stubborn enemies of honest reflection on what God clearly shows.

I have the role of witnessing the gospel.

Although faced with the constraint of this silence shouldn’t we continue to be witnesses

These are the verses not to be missed.

Acts 4 / 12

There is no salvation in any other; for there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which we must be saved.